Chapter 280

Pokémon Alliance Year 2, March 1st.

The group stages had concluded, and now the elimination rounds had begun, marking the final two weeks of the first official battle tournament.

The 64 trainers advancing to the elimination rounds included many powerful and skilled individuals. To Dak's surprise, a few expected competitors didn't make it through, such as Leo from the Tontatta Kingdom and Pedro from the Mink Tribe. Other trainers like Morty, Law, and Thatch barely scraped their way through and now seemed unlikely to take the championship title. (I still don't know who is Morty)

Today was the first day of the 64-to-32 elimination battles.

The central arena was packed with people and Pokémon alike, with standing room only. Since all four regions' spectators were now gathered here, the elimination rounds promised even more intense and captivating battles, drawing larger crowds than ever.

Match One.

"On my left, we have the 'King of Ghosts' from the West Blue, Brook!"

A massive cheer erupted from the crowd.

The trainers who had made it to the elimination rounds had all gained fans, and Brook was among the crowd's favorites. His unique appearance and impressive musical abilities had charmed many, earning him the nickname "King of Ghosts" due to his skill with Ghost-type Pokémon.

"And on my right, from the North Blue, we have the 'Dragon Head' X. Drake!"

Another round of applause filled the arena.

Although Drake wasn't as popular as Brook, he stood out for being the only Dragon-type specialist in the tournament, with his entire team consisting of Dragon-type Pokémon. However, this was also a double-edged sword. Dragon Pokémon were known for reaching their full potential late, especially those with three evolution stages that generally became effective only at Level 50 and beyond.

For Drake, his chances of winning a future tournament would be higher as his Dragon-type Pokémon matured.

"Before the battle begins, let's spin to select a random battlefield."

The large screen displayed a spinning wheel with four sections: Rocky Terrain, Forest, Lake, and Plain. Both trainers watched as the wheel stopped on Forest.

"Yohoho! Looks like luck is on our side today," Brook laughed, his eerie laugh echoing through the arena.

"Tch." Drake clicked his tongue, visibly annoyed. He wasn't overly fixated on a high placement, as he primarily wanted to showcase his potential to the Alliance's top brass, but he didn't want to be eliminated in the first elimination round either. He'd already been at a disadvantage, and now the terrain was against him too.

"Trainers, send out your first Pokémon!"

With Perona in her spectral form giving the call, the battle officially began.

The elimination round was a 6v6 single battle format, with each trainer having registered their six Pokémon before the match. While the trainers and spectators were unaware of each other's choices, most teams were already widely known by this stage of the tournament.

In the Alliance Control Room

"Drake is going to lose this one," Dak observed, watching both teams displayed on the screen.

Brook's lineup:

Gengar, Banette, Dusknoir, Lampent, Cofagrigus, and Spiritomb.

Drake's lineup:

Flygon, Druddigon, Goomy, Noibat, Heliolisk, and Turtonator.

Brook's Pokémon were mostly at Level 40 or above, putting him among the top competitors, even compared to the Navy and Revolutionary Army participants. As a trainer, Brook's skill level had even surpassed some gym leaders.

Drake's Pokémon team, on the other hand, consisted of first-stage Pokémon that were still developing. Flygon, his ace, was Level 45, but the rest were at Level 39 on average.

The Battle

Brook first sent out Dusknoir, Lampent, and Spiritomb. Utilizing the terrain and their high levels, they quickly defeated Drake's Goomy, Noibat, Heliolisk, and Turtonator.

Next, Brook's Cofagrigus faced off against Druddigon, leading to a double knockout. That left Drake with his final Pokémon, Flygon, against Brook's two strongest Pokémon, Gengar (Level 47) and Banette (Level 45).

Despite Flygon's resilience, it ultimately couldn't overcome Gengar, with Banette not even needing to step in.

Drake realized his tournament journey had ended here.

"Flygon is unable to battle. The winner of this elimination round is Brook, the 'King of Ghosts' from the West Blue!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as Perona appeared and announced the results.

"Hey, what's your goal?" Drake asked Brook before stepping off the stage.

"My goal… I'm not sure. If possible, we'd love to win, of course," Brook replied, scratching his head.

For Brook, entering this tournament was all about creating memorable experiences with his Pokémon, without any deep-seated ambition. Even if he had been eliminated, he would've left with happy memories. Winning would only make the experience even more perfect.

"You'd better make it to the semi-finals, then, and become one of the Four Emperors," Drake remarked, a hint of competitiveness lingering.

Though he accepted his loss, he felt that, given more time to train, he could have won. Since he had been defeated, he at least wanted to be bested by someone worthy.

"Uh…we'll try!" Brook replied with determination.

Over the next six days, the tournament progressed, narrowing down from 32 to 16 competitors. Each of the top 16 would receive a property in Yggdrasil, along with an official Alliance resident ID.

The Round of 16 Bracket:

Left Side Bracket:

Boa Hancock vs. Contestant A

Jaguar D. Saul vs. Thatch

Dracule Mihawk vs. Sabo

Brook vs. Morty

Right Side Bracket:

Newgate vs. Hannyabal

Contestant B vs. Vista

Kuzan vs. Marco

Uzumaki D. Charlotte vs. Trafalgar D. Law

These sixteen trainers were now vying for a place in the semi-finals. Each of the top four would earn the title of an Emperor of the Sea.

Betting pools exploded across both worlds, with the largest underground pool reaching a whopping 7.2 billion berries and still rising. Who would emerge as champion? Who would secure the Four Emperors' titles?

(End of Chapter)

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